A proud unapologetic Black trans woman speaking truth to power and discussing the world around her since 2006

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Koko's Album 'Who's That Lady?' Drops November 18

I've talked about Koko Jones, my seriously talented musical sis from time to time on the blog and had the pleasure of doing one of my TransGriot Ten Questions interviews with her.

How talented is she? Talented enough for this Jersey girl over her four decades in the music biz to have performed with some of the most recognizable names in the pop, R&B, jazz, house and African music worlds.

And now you'll have something to look forward to during TDOR Week in terms of her 'Who's That Lady' LP dropping on that date..

The timing of the release of the album near that date is not an accident. As a girl like us who happens to be a musician, several of the tracks on this upcoming album release on Motema Music reflect either personal or universal issues facing the trans community:

“Why” honors those trans individuals who have lost their lives due to violence or suicide and “Turn It” pays tribute to the heroes, past and present, who strive for civil rights, justice and equality. “I’m Free” celebrates the joy of reveling in who you really are despite societal norms and constraints. And “Xtravaganzas” pays homage to the House of Xtravaganza, one of the most important cultural institutions in the trans community.

While she has always handled her business as a musician first and foremost, she has had an ongoing parallel role as an activist and a voice in the trans community. In addition to Koko’s ground-breaking work as an interventionist at the Center for HIV Education Studies and Training (CHEST) at Hunter College, where she is a part of T-Talk, a project delivered by trans women for trans women that seeks to reduce sexual health risk, substance use, and internalized stigma affecting the community.

Koko frequently speaks at events, and recently gave a TEDx talk at Seton Hall University and delivered a lecture on Current Issues in the Trans Community at Columbia University Teachers College. She is also an active member of Trans Women of Color Collective (TWOCC)

But it's time for peeps to get to know Koko Jones in her primary role as an extraordinary musician

Those of you in the New York area can check her out on December 1 at her CD release show that will start at 8 PM EST at Sub Culture. The venue is located at 45 Bleeker St, and if you're looking for more info hit the link or call 212-533-5470.

And yeah, Christmas and Hanukkah are coming up, so why not purchase 'Who's That Lady?' and kill two birds with one stone at the same time? You buy a gift for someone (or keep it for your own music collection), keep our T-bills circulating in our community, and support a fantastic musician at the same time.

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About The TransGriot

Monica Roberts, AKA the TransGriot (Gree-oh) is a native Houstonian, GLAAD award nominated blogger, writer, and award winning trans human rights advocate. She's the founding editor of TransGriot, and her writing has appeared at the Bilerico Project, Ebony.com, The Huffington Post and the Advocate.
She works to foster understanding and acceptance of trans people inside and outside communities of color and was recently honored with the Virginia Prince Transgender Pioneer Award

TransGriot Blog Mission Statement

The TransGriot blog's mission is to become the griot of our community. I will introduce you to and talk about your African descended trans brothers and trans sisters across the Diaspora, reclaim and document our chocolate flavored trans history, speak truth to power, comment on the things that impact our trans community from an Afrocentric perspective and enlighten you about the general things that go on around me and in the communities that I am a member of.

--Mission Statement compiled January 2, 2011

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